Development of a therapeutic patient education curriculum for healthcare professionals to improve diabetes care in the Eastern Mediterranean region

Abstract

Aims

Diabetes prevalence in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is among the highest globally, yet structured therapeutic patient education (TPE) is inconsistently implemented. This study aimed to describe the multi-phase development, structure, and implementation planning of a WHO-led, diabetes-specific TPE curriculum tailored to the EMR.

Methods

A multi-phase, formative approach was used to inform curriculum development. This included a synthesis of existing evidence, a regional situation analysis combining desk review, stakeholder surveys, and semi-structured interviews, and stakeholder consultations. Qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, and findings were integrated through an expert-driven, iterative consensus process. Reporting was guided by relevant principles for complex intervention description.

Results

The different phases identified key gaps in the organization, content, and delivery of diabetes education across the region, as well as priorities for culturally adapted and competency-based training. These findings directly informed the development of a structured curriculum composed of eight modules, covering core aspects of diabetes management, self-care, and context-specific considerations. The curriculum incorporates defined learning objectives, core content areas, and participatory teaching methods, and is supported by an implementation guide informed by implementation science frameworks.

Conclusions

This work provides a transparent description of the development of an evidence-informed, theory-driven TPE curriculum adapted to the EMR. The curriculum offers a structured framework to support the delivery of diabetes education and may be adaptable to other contexts, subject to local contextualization and future evaluation.